Do you simply enjoy watching the live feed when you’re up in the air?
Do you enjoy watching raw footage when the drone is back on the ground?
Or do you record the footage in order to create and edit slick-looking videos?
And how likely is it to be able to sell drone footage as a side hustle / business?
Thanks!
Yes, Yes, Attempt to without major success, As likely as making a living selling aerial stills.
I tend to avoid video mainly because I am crap at it 
do the odd quick shot and some bits and pieces when I feel like it.
Much prefer taking of photos, I am not looking to make money from my drone stuff not sure any of it would be that good to be fair.
I have given some to people who have asked and posted some from my recent trip to Camber in a local fb group which I got a lot of positive comments and some people thanking them for photos of their house/static caravan
I’ve found video editing a rabbit hole I’ve begun to slip down into the more I’ve been flying drones.
That being said, it’s much more labour-intensive (and resource-intensive if your IT equipment isn’t up to scratch) than editing stills.
I’ve also personally found that I get more engagement from posting an aerial photo than a video. Could be because my video editing skills aren’t all that; could also be that someone can look at a photo and decide if they like it in a second whereas a video demands more of the viewer’s time.
That is the problem in today’s world, I’m afraid. Nowadays, with social media, people tend to want quick snippets of everything.
I would suggest you record and edit the video that YOU want and if other people like it - great. If not, that is their hard luck.
Aerial stills for me , just a different perspective of landmarks , castles , lighthouses , monuments, windmills and I’ve done a few waterfalls all just for my personal display
I like to do all that you described and when I get something good (perhaps less than 1% of my flights) then I edit and publish - usually around a theme.
You can view my playlist of personally published videos here:
Not particularly. I’m concentrating too hard to really enjoy it.
No, never done that. Move on to the next shot
Yes. For me it’s all about the video creation. I very rarely if at all take stills. Video creation, learning and getting better at it is incredibly addictive.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLT49iYN1XAyjK-7DwPN0Jw
not going to happen. far to long in the tooth now for thinking about a career change 
Having spoken to a few, that is a real problem for amateur videographers nowadays. It’s creating something that continuously keeps the viewers attention, tells a story and also keeps them guessing as to what’s coming next. It’s a talent that’s for sure and a steep learning curve if you’ve never done it before but that’s the addictive nature of it. Learning what doesn’t work, learning what does and always trying to create something that’s better than the last.
for me its mostly I enjoy flying , the pics and video is a added bonus mostly for my enjoyment or if I am flying at a friends and they like a view from above their property then its theirs , I some times post pics on here but I rarely have anything interesting enough .
This.
My pc is over 8 years old so very basic and very slow, videos would be an absolute nightmare to edit (plus I don’t have the foggiest how to edit vids!!). I do take video when I fly, just on the off chance I get a new super-duper computer in the future, and ‘for the record’, but I much prefer stills.
I too don’t look to make money from my photography, but thats not to say I wouldn’t refuse any offers of payment/publication…
Gary
So you have tried to sell your edited drone footage? Not successful at all or had a few sales?
And most drones are in 4k now, right? So i guess those photos are clear when printing out in a big size?
Awesome! Great footage and really cool music too!
What do you use to edit the footage?
Since getting a drone I decided to video all the local villages in the area (Cumbria) including the Lakes. I edit them and put them on YouTube. although they are nothing special or great videos to most people, to me they have become a great hobby and a labour of love.
I decided due to my age and mobility problems that I could at least keep my brain active, so everything from setting up the drone to flying it, trying my best to capture the best I can (don’t laugh). Then onto the editing of it, I find I am at least keeping the old grey matter ticking over. And it does get me out and about, although my long walks are over, I park where I can, if it’s safe, which is why I’m normally out at silly o’clock in the morning.
This must be the best hobby I’ve had in many years, loving it. And I’ve no doubt there are others in a similar situation to me, if there are then well done and keep going.
The megapixel count and sensor size varies between drones. Something like a DJI Mini 2 with a 12MP camera and a 1/2.3 sensor isn’t going to give images as crisp as a Mavic 2 Pro or an Air 2S which have 20MP cameras and 1 inch sensors.
In terms of making money, I think people are most successful where they are using a drone to compliment an existing skill set. For example, you’re more likely to trust a builder/building surveyor to do a roof survey than an average joe off the street who’s just bought a drone.
I always compare it in my mind to a story about Ben Affleck on the set of Armageddon. Apparently he asked Michael Bay why they wouldn’t just train astronauts to use drilling equipment, rather than training oil drillers to be astronauts. Bay allegedly said “Go f*** yourself, Ben” and the subject wasn’t raised again… 
Thanks, much appreciated. 
I use a video editor called KDENLIVE on Linux. But I think they have a Windows version that can be downloaded for free. a lot of free music can be downloaded from your YouTube channel or from other sources.
I’m quite literally living my own fantasy (settle down at the back!)
Being a kid in the 70s and 80s I dreamed about cars that could drive themselves and talk (e.g K.I.T.T), hand held devices like in Star Trek that I could use to type stuff on, chat to folks etc…I watched Lee Majors and others be humans with robotic parts…I wished I owned a replicator to make what ever I wanted…I would dream of owning RC cars like Tamiyas (no way would my folks ever blow that much money on a 10yr old lol, and when stuff like the hand held video recorders came out (yeah the big stuff from the 80s lol)…and I saw films like Batteries Not Included and F/X I imagined how cool it would be do have an RC helicopter with a video camera on it, or even better fix it onto an Rc car…
Fast forward circa 35yrs and now we have cars like Tesla’s and other that can drive and park themselves, we have stuff Google Home and Alexa to talk to, we have folks with prosthetic limbs that are more like Terminator 2’s arm than any plastic rubbish from 20-30yrs ago…3D printers means anyone can now literally make their own stuff from parts for prosthetic limbs to actual homes (industrial 3D printers 
) I’ve got a touch screen phone that is more powerful than any desktop I’ve ever used from say 10yrs ago or earlier and here I am with a shed load of rc cars from Tamiyas SCTs to a 5T to a tiny 1/76 scale full proportional mini…I have a GoPro to mount to them and make films…and to top it all off I now own a drone that can not only take photos and film videos but it can follow me around…
In answer to the original question…Do I use it to film?? Heck yeah lol…am I good enough to sell the vids - no …or do it to make money - again no because there’s too many people doing that now, and once it becomes professional, it takes the joy out of the activity for me…I’m more than happy just bumbling along enjoying all this stuff whilst the 10yr old kid in me is waking up every day thinking what the **** is going on…am I in a dream lol
All I need now is a flying DeLorean and a proper Hoverboard and I’m done …
Question is…in my very short life time, all this stuff that was once in the realms of science fiction is now real…what’s going to happen in the next 20 - 30years?
I’ve seen my parents get older these last couple of years, and i’ve observed one keeps their mind active and enjoys hobbies while the other does not… You can probably guess which one is still as sharp as a knife.
So good for you in loving what you do and keeping your mind active at the same time. I’m pretty sure you’ll benefit from it, more than you may even know.
Thanks for the response. Very good points.
And f*cking hilarious Ben Afleck story! You should check out his audio commentary for Armageddon… i think it is on youtube somewhere. My overall feeling is…he doesn’t appreciate that film so much 